of the sea in
the little bay below by the aid of his much-detested spade!

Crackle, crackle--puff--whish; and, in another few moments, the whole
cliff seemed on fire, the flames licking every particle of herbage off
the face of the rock.

The heat soon made the solid stone glow like molten iron; while the
columns of white smoke, as they rose up, were swept by the wind over the
tableland, frightening away several of the albatross, which hovered over
the scene of devastation on poised wing, wondering apparently what all
the fuss was about!

The fire gradually burnt itself out when there was nothing more to
consume, only an angry pile of smouldering embers remaining below the
waterfall, which still danced and tumbled itself over the blackened
edges of the crags, no longer festooned with the tussock-grass and
shrubs which had previously given the brothers handhold and foothold
when climbing to the summit of the cliff.

The ladder up to Eric's look-out station being now irremediably
destroyed, henceforth the sphere of action of the brother crusoes would
be limited to the confined valley in which they had landed and built
their home; for, there was now no means of reaching the tableland, save
by the pass on the western side near their sealing station, to reach
which they would have to use the whale-boat and venture out to sea,
round the eastern or western headland.

They were now really shut completely within their little valley, without
a chance of escaping in any sudden emergency, except by taking to the
water!

The destruction of the ladder-way was a sad calamity; but, that was not
the worst of the damage done by Eric's bonfire!

It was late in the afternoon when the lad first lit up the pile of
rubbish and night came ere the fire had died out, its blazing light,
reflected back by the glistening surface of the cliff, shining out to
sea from the bay, like a beacon welcoming the passing mariner to
friendly shores--instead of which, the cruel crags that encircled the
island only grinned through the surf, like the pointed teeth of a pack
of snarling wolves, waiting to rend and tear any hapless craft that
should make for them!

In addition to this, there was yet another peril to any ship in the
vicinity; for, the wind from the north-east had risen to a gale as the
evening set in, bringing with it a heavy, rolling swell that thundered
in upon the beach with a harsh, grating roar, throwing up columns of
spray over the